Barn find…..arcades,pins,bowlers,skee balls

Met a person last week through networking who owns “a bunch of machines”. I’ve heard about this guy 2 other times. Was finally able to get in touch with him and he told me he had a bunch of stuff not touched for years. EMS and early solid states. Today I got a chance to visit him to see his collection.

Some were in an open air barn, lying on the ground.

Others were in an enclosed barn storage with concrete floors.

And then others were tucked into various rooms inside the house.

Here is what I got to see.

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#2 1 year ago

JTD

StoneyCreek

Pinside+ Frequent

5y 60,800 603 20

Is he selling? Did you buy anything? Looks like a lot of good projects there.

#3 1 year ago

LEV

CrazyLevi

Crazy Levi's Pinball

New York, NY

10y 148K 33,527

The indoor stuff looks pretty good!

The outdoor stuff reminds us that “barn find!” Isn’t usually as exciting in execution as it is in imagination.

#4 1 year ago

DBS

dstudeba

Pinside+ Frequent

San Diego, CA

1y 46,900 214 3

Oh to be a mouse in that barn.

#5 1 year ago

EJS

Pinball Outpost

11y 223K 14,851 1

I can smell some of those pictures

#6 1 year ago

RDM

boscokid

Pinside member

Wilmington, DE

9y 83,050 2,753 4

Exciting! RIP Chad's inbox

#7 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Not interested in anything outside. Although, a few of the barn EMS have good looking PFS.

Gonna make an offer on 4 of the machines inside. That’s all that interests me.

#8 1 year ago

KOS

Kkoss24

Pinside+ Frequent

4y 126K 7,535 4 24

That Genie looks in sweet condition .That row looks pretty tight from the pics .

#9 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/leave-no-pin-behind-a-space-shuttle-story#post-7114345

Quoted from Kkoss24:
That Genie looks in sweet condition .That row looks pretty tight from the pics .

Yea, all 3 of those games were in great shape. Hell, Mr & Mrs Pac-Man maze even worked!

#10 1 year ago

MSL

SantaEatsCheese

Pinside+ Pro!

Crofton, MD

5y 209K 9,626 6 85 1

Leave no pin behind!

The Space Shuttle I pulled out from under a tarp outside in a pin trade looked similar to the one in your photo. There is hope.

#11 1 year ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Vergennes, VT

10y 68,550 2,205 1

Looks like some cool projects. Unless severely water damaged many open air barn finds can be restored to good looking/playing examples. I've restored a half dozen or so barn finds between pins/vids. All of which were cheap and came out looking great with normal restoration processes.

Thanks for sharing.

#12 1 year ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

9y 107K 8,986

I hate to say it, but none of the pins interest me.
The skeeballs, tho? .. Yeah, I'd take 'em.

(That exact model is the model of SKeeballs I had in the first FEC that I fully managed and had to buy games for/stock up. That model holds sentimental value, and have always wondered what happened to mine after I left the company.)

#13 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from Coyote:
I hate to say it, but none of the pins interest me.
The skeeballs, tho? .. Yeah, I'd take 'em.
(That exact model is the model of SKeeballs I had in the first FEC that I fully managed and had to buy games for/stock up. That model holds sentimental value, and have always wondered what happened to mine after I left the company.)

Come get them.

#14 1 year ago

???

jj44114

Pinside member

8y 56,050 1,861 19

Raccoon and rat shit in many barn finds.

#15 1 year ago

BMC

athens95

Inside stuff has nice value and can be put back together for sure, those older skeeballs can be desirable. And, they are super easy to fix. There isn't that much going on there. You need a lot of space to move this stuff into though.

Outside stuff. I have hauled home really rough stuff like this before. Can be hit or miss. Today people like to do full restorations and it doesn't matter if they start with a 9/10 game or a 2/10 game. The 2/10 game lowers their initial investment. There will for sure be some valuable parts in the outside lot. A vidiot board from a babypacman if not trashed, and untested can bring $300+ these days. Not to mention other gems in there.

#16 1 year ago

BMC

athens95

Oh, and that Atari Road Blasters is an Atari System 1 game. LOTS of video desirability there. The video guys will be all over this one.
Cocktail missile command and super zaxxon have almost NO value here, IMO.

The EM shooters are very desirable, and way more simple to fix than an EM pinball. IMO, you should grab this one and you will save a game. Someone will restore it.

#17 1 year ago

JEC

bluespin

Pinside+ Frequent

Johns Creek, GA

7y 141K 9,116

BertoDRINK1

#18 1 year ago

JAM

NPO

Pinside member

12y 133K 7,652 3 17

Geez, it's like the pinball version of Hoarders - only this makes me more sad. Holy shit....

#19 1 year ago

CGE

too-many-pins

Pinside member

Carlisle, PA

11y 97,800 4,485

I have bought a lot worse stuff & some of it was fixed up. It is getting harder & harder to find stuff like this these days! If the seller is reasonable with prices he could have a decent amount of cash out of a bunch of stuff he doesn't seem to care too much about! After you get yours someone should just go in and buy the balance of the stuff and try to save what they can.

#20 1 year ago

MJM

wisefwumyogwave

Pinside member

9y 108K 1,861 35

Poor Sega Genesis

#21 1 year ago

KJB

dudah

Pinside+ Frequent

Algonquin, IL

11y 101K 2,979 10

Do they work and get used? Even half of the barn ones looks like they're in a game room.
I guarantee some critters have made their home in the barn ones.
The values of most of these games in their current condition isn't much.
The critter mess factor usually scares away any sane potential buyer.
I've sanitized plenty of critter shit games, it's not fun.
These days, I personally won't touch any game with critter mess unless it's rare/desireable.

#22 1 year ago

???

pinballizfun

Pinside apprentice

2y 24,400 619 15

The BG on the outside ones are in surprisingly good shape.

#23 1 year ago

KEN

radium

Pinside+ Frequent

Covington, LA

10y 93,550 4,153 12 2

How much for the plastic aquarium plants?

#24 1 year ago

WTG

waltgman

Pinside member

Lynn, MA

11y 55,300 291 5 7

So cool that finds like these are still out there!

Thanks for sharing the pics!

#25 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from dudah:
Do they work and get used? Even half of the barn ones looks like they're in a game room.
I guarantee some critters have made their home in the barn ones.
The values of most of these games in their current condition isn't much.
The critter mess factor usually scares away any sane potential buyer.
I've sanitized plenty of critter shit games, it's not fun.
These days, I personally won't touch any game with critter mess unless it's rare/desireable.

According to owner, everything worked prior to storage many years ago except Baby Pac, and one of the bowlers. During the tour we only powered up the games inside.

#26 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

My deal is done. All I bought was Stars. Everything else is up for grabs. If you want to contact the guy to make a deal, PM me.

#27 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from djreddog:
My deal is done. All I bought was Stars. Everything else is up for grabs. If you want to contact the guy to make a deal, PM me.

It sounds like the owner wanted too much or too much for the shape they are in ,it's good you got the Stars

#28 1 year ago

MDF

dropdeadhippie

Pinside member

Syracuse, NY

10y 28,650 145 5

Your pics remind me of this 1949 King Arthur that came from the floor of a open/crumbling barn. Bought it just for parts but insanity made me restore it Recreating the plastics artwork and getting the backglass art redone was an incredible challenge too.

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#29 1 year ago

BMC

athens95

Too bad you’re not closer. A few pieces in there that are worth another look

#30 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from Williampinball:
It sounds like the owner wanted too much or too much for the shape they are in ,it's good you got the Stars

Not at all. I really only wanted the Stars. Didn’t have a bunch of extra funds and I have zero time or interest in buying the stuff and trying to flip it.

#31 1 year ago

TDZ

pinballlife

Pinball Life

Huntley, IL

18y 123K 1,796 36 64

You made the correct choice.
Stars rules.

#32 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from pinballlife:
You made the correct choice.
Stars rules.

If I had extra cash floating around, I would have also grabbed Flight 2K.

#33 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from djreddog:
If I had extra cash floating around, I would have also grabbed Flight 2K.

But you did well Stars is great best looking one right on

#34 1 year ago

DBLM

Pinside member

7y 125K 15,319

Congrats on the Stars, Chad!

1 week later

#35 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Folks, this stuff is still sitting!!! Someone come to DE and take it all away!!

Stars sold for $750 (not working)

Flight 2000 sold for $900 (working)

Still got a Genie, Mr & Mrs Pac-Man, Contact (all inside) and then a bunch of EM's and stuff in the barn!!!

#36 1 year ago

BMC

athens95

I wish you were closer

#37 1 year ago

CGE

too-many-pins

Pinside member

Carlisle, PA

11y 97,800 4,485

I would have run down for that Flight 2000 if I wasn't so busy the past couple weeks. 5 years ago I would have just bought all of it.

#38 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Genie is now sold.

#39 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Genie price was $1200.

Also learned he sold Baby-Pacman for $300. Still plenty of machines left!!!!

#40 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from djreddog:
Genie price was $1200.
Also learned he sold Baby-Pacman for $300. Still plenty of machines left!!!!

Great price for pacman

#41 1 year ago

CGE

too-many-pins

Pinside member

Carlisle, PA

11y 97,800 4,485

A friend of mine contacted the seller about the "dirty stuff in the outbuildings". Talk about crazy high prices $600 for the OXO? $500 each for a couple of the other EM machines? The people who purchased those cleaner SS machines from inside got great deals. Guess the guy is truly "old school" and loves those EM's.

Anyway - I am still getting over the "sticker shock" for dirty EM's in an open building! I think he is going to have those for a long time! Glad we didn't make a two hour drive trying to make a deal on a load of machines!

#42 1 year ago

WEN

jrpinball

Pinside+ Addict

10y 115K 10,722

The woodrail with the card suits on the cabinet is a 1955 Williams "Three Deuces".

#43 1 year ago

JAY

JBtheAVguy

Pinside member

5y 63,300 592

What a shame. People who collect stuff and store it like that and won't let it go are doing their hobby no good.

#44 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from JBtheAVguy:
What a shame. People who collect stuff and store it like that and won't let it go are doing their hobby no good.

Ya for sure and they think they are doing good but they are really not plus they think they are worth a lot lol

#45 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from too-many-pins:
A friend of mine contacted the seller about the "dirty stuff in the outbuildings". Talk about crazy high prices $600 for the OXO? $500 each for a couple of the other EM machines? The people who purchased those cleaner SS machines from inside got great deals. Guess the guy is truly "old school" and loves those EM's.
Anyway - I am still getting over the "sticker shock" for dirty EM's in an open building! I think he is going to have those for a long time! Glad we didn't make a two hour drive trying to make a deal on a load of machines!

I doubt he is firm on those prices. He’s been relatively easy to work with. It would be nice if someone scooped them all up though.

Keep in mind most of the games are inside an enclosed barn. Only 1-2 are in open air.

#46 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Space shuttle, the one outside in the barn is now gone. He gave that away for free to me along with a spare playfield.

#47 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from djreddog:
Space shuttle, the one outside in the barn is now gone. He gave that away for free to me along with a spare playfield.

How sweet is that right on

#48 1 year ago

CHD

djreddog

Pinside member

Quoted from Williampinball:
How sweet is that right on

It’s a big project. Missing 1-2 boards. No displays. Candidate for hardtop for sure.

#49 1 year ago

???

Williampinball

Pinside+ Frequent